NATIONAL 3 -(Spotlight Weekly)

Cynical Or Critical?

The stridency of today's political discussions is harmful to society

By KESHAB POUDEL

If newspaper headlines are used to gauge the political and social trends of 2001, Nepalis were inundated by stories of violence, extreme political agitation and corruption scandals. Politicians, judges and intellectuals spoke loftily about the ideals of society, ignoring the reality they were part of. If anything, subjective comments on personalities helped erode public faith in institutions.

Growing tensions between ideals and reality have increased disenchantment against the institutions of representative democracy. This has made Nepal's process of consolidating democracy all the more painful.

Political leaders : Brewing cynicism

Cynical criticism and commentaries foster extreme groups even in the most tolerant and democratic societies. Nepalis have experienced how growing distrust can destroy the process of political transformation. The Panchayat system, which was undergoing a clear process of liberalization, was overthrown by the confluence of highly cynical trends.

"The same strata of politicians and intellectuals are now at the forefront of destroying public faith in the current polity," says a political analyst. "Critical observations always pave the way for improvements, but cynical remarks result in extremism and violence in society."

Even under the state of emergency, politicians and intellectuals have not wasted time in making cynical comments against individuals and the political system. In a democracy, every citizen has the right to discuss and debate issues of concern. The question is whether such discussions are helpful or harmful to the cause of democracy.

From the leaders of ruling and opposition parties to intellectuals representing various strata, including law and university and civil society, everyone seems to be in a feverish contest to make extreme remarks.

Democracy needs a large pool of critical citizens in order to flourish. When so-called opinion makers turn more cynical, the system will have to suffer. The role of opinion makers is to raise public opinion on the performance of institutions on a purely objective and constructive basis.

Citizens need to evaluate whether the government is following its principles and how important actors have being working. In the Nepalese context, those outside the ruling party want to show that they are always against the government. It seems that opposing the government is a natural phenomenon. That tendency could easily degenerate into a hate campaign against the state to the extent of discrediting and destabilizing society.

There is growing tension between democratic values and local culture in Nepal. In the name of democracy and freedom, politicians and intellectuals have been responding with hostile views. The leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties are in the forefront of expressing such statements. Intellectuals close to the Panchayat system and discarded by the present dispensation represent another group that has fostered cynicism.

"It is widely believed that growing cynicism about government may deter conventional participation: discouraging electoral turnout, political activism, and civic engagement," says a political analyst.

Cynical criticism, experts argue, fosters unconventional activism, support for anti-state extremist movements, and even occasional incidents of urban terrorism. "In the last one decade, we have seen expressions of extreme opinions against the political system," says senior advocate Mukunda Regmi, who was a member of the panel that drafted the current constitution.

Whether a former speaker of the House of Representatives, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court or a former minister, there is a trend among those alienated from mainstream politics to create public distrust of the democratic system.

Their comments force people to lose hope in the system. A deep public trust is generally thought to encourage voluntary compliance with the law, enhancing the ability of governments to pass and implement effective legislation to bring culprits to justice.

Experience has shown that growing cynical remarks will encourage people to violate the rule of law. Such moves will hinder the consolidation of new democracies. Nobody seems to worry about the system.

Nepalese society lacks a supportive political culture for democracy, as people have been used to living under authoritarian systems. In the past five decades, people have learnt the gradual and slow process of democratization and institution building. However, growing tensions between ideals and reality, and increased disenchantment with the institutions of representative democracy risk undermining the existing order, leaving society in a perpetual state of instability.